Motorcycle trip

Kyrgyzstan

We run one tour in Kyrgyzstan: The Nomad Odyssey, 11 days including 9 riding days, on a loop from Osh. It crosses the country through its gorges, over passes above 3,000 metres and across high summer pastures, with nights in yurts beside mountain lakes. You ride a Royal Enfield Himalayan 450. If nomad life and wide open steppe are what draw you, also have a look at our Mongolia motorcycle tours, or at all our motorcycle tours in Asia.

The Nomad Odyssey costs £3,290 (€3,690) per rider and £2,490 (€2,790) per pillion, for 11 days. Your flight to Osh is extra, as is a £31 (€35) registration fee on your first tour with us. The motorcycle, fuel, accommodation, full board on the riding days and the whole support team are included: the tour page lists everything in detail.

Summer, from June to September, when the passes are clear of snow and the high mountain tracks can be ridden. Expect 25 to 35°C in the valleys, 10 to 18°C on the high plateaus and nights close to freezing by the lakes. September is cooler, but quieter. Winter is far too harsh for a motorcycle trip. Open dates are on the tour page, and our Kyrgyzstan weather guide has the details.

Our tour is rated Sustained and is meant for experienced riders who feel at ease on tracks. The stages are long, a good share of the route follows mountain tracks, and you spend several nights above 3,000 metres. Good physical fitness and regular riding are a must. Riding two-up is possible but demanding on this terrain: talk it through with your travel advisor before you book.

Bring your full motorcycle licence together with an International Driving Permit (the 1968 version, available from the Post Office). UK travellers need no visa for a short tourist stay like this tour; check the rule in force for your dates and your passport. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after you arrive. Details are in Preparing your trip to Kyrgyzstan, in our help centre.

The tour starts and finishes in Osh, the main city in the south of the country. You book your international flight to Osh airport, usually with a connection, for example via Istanbul or with a domestic flight from Bishkek, the capital. Our team meets you at the airport on the first day, takes you to the hotel and drives you back on the last day, according to your flight times.

On the road, the main risks are isolation and altitude: stages run far from hospitals, the phone signal comes and goes in the valleys and rapid rescue is rare. That is why every group rides with a motorcycle tour leader, a mechanic and a support vehicle, which can take an injured rider to the nearest medical centre. For the situation in the country, read the FCDO travel advice for Kyrgyzstan, or your own government’s advice if you live elsewhere in Europe, before you book.

Not with us: in Kyrgyzstan we only run guided tours, never motorbike hire on its own. An English-speaking tour leader rides ahead, a mechanic looks after the bikes and a support vehicle follows with the luggage and spare parts. We also arrange the permits for the border areas on the route and the yurt camps, so when you land in Osh your motorcycle is waiting and the whole route is ready.